Global Discontents: Conversations on the Rising Threats to Democracy

In wide-ranging interviews with David Barsamian, his longtime interlocutor, Noam Chomsky asks listeners to consider "the world we are leaving to our grandchildren": one imperiled by the escalation of climate change and the growing potential for nuclear war. If the current system is incapable of dealing with these threats, he argues, it's up to us to radically change it.

Who Rules the World?: Reframings

Internationally renowned political commentator Noam Chomsky examines America's pursuit and exercise of power in a post-9/11 world. Noam Chomsky is the world's foremost intellectual activist. Over the last half century, no one has done more to question the great global powers who govern our lives, forensically scrutinizing policies and actions, calling our politicians, institutions and media to account. The culmination of years of work, Who Rules the World? is Chomsky's definitive intellectual investigation into the major issues of our times.

Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky

A major new collection from "arguably the most important intellectual alive" (The New York Times). Noam Chomsky is universally accepted as one of the preeminent public intellectuals of the modern era. Over the past thirty years, broadly diverse audiences have gathered to attend his sold-out lectures. Now, in Understanding Power, Peter Mitchell and John Schoeffel have assembled the best of Chomsky's recent talks on the past, present, and future of the politics of power.

Profit Over People: Neoliberalism & Global Order

Why is the Atlantic slowly filling with crude petroleum, threatening a millions-of-years-old ecological balance? Why did traders at prominent banks take high-risk gambles with the money entrusted to them by hundreds of thousands of clients around the world, expanding and leveraging their investments to the point that failure led to a global financial crisis that left millions of people jobless and hundreds of cities economically devastated?

The Essential Chomsky

In a single volume, the seminal writings of the world's leading philosopher, linguist, and critic, published to coincide with his 80th birthday. For the past 40 years Noam Chomsky's writings on politics and language have established him as a preeminent public intellectual and as one of the most original and wide-ranging political and social critics of our time. Among the seminal figures in linguistic theory over the past century, since the 1960s Chomsky has also secured a place as perhaps the leading dissident voice in the United States.

Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies

In his 1988 CBC Massey Lecture, Noam Chomsky inquires into the nature of the media in a political system where the population cannot be disciplined by force and thus must be subjected to more subtle forms of ideological control. Specific cases are illustrated in detail, using the U.S. media primarily but also media in other societies.

Requiem for the American Dream: The Principles of Concentrated Wealth and Power

Noam Chomsky is widely regarded as the most influential thinker of our time, but never before has he devoted a major book to one topic: income inequality.
Requiem for the American Dream is not an essay collection but an entire work of some 70,000 words, based on four years of interviews with Chomsky by the editors. It is a book that makes Chomsky's breadth and depth accessible and at the same time gives us his most powerful political ideas with unprecedented, breathtaking directness.

And the Weak Suffer What They Must?: Europe, Austerity and the Threat to Global Stability

In 2008, the universe of Western finance outgrew planet Earth. When Wall Street imploded, a death embrace between insolvent banks and bankrupt states consumed Europe. Half a dozen national economies imploded, and several more came close. But the storm is far from over.... From the aftermath of the Second World War to the present, Varoufakis recounts how the eurozone emerged not as a route to shared prosperity but as a pyramid scheme of debt.

Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance

For more than half a century, the United States has been pursuing a grand imperial strategy with the aim of staking out the globe. Our leaders have shown themselves willing, as in the Cuban missile crisis, to follow the dream of dominance no matter how high the risks. Now the Bush administration is intensifying this process, driving us toward the final frontiers of imperial control, toward a choice between the prerogatives of power and a livable Earth.

Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda

Noam Chomsky’s backpocket classic on wartime propaganda and opinion control begins by asserting two models of democracy - one in which the public actively participates, and one in which the public is manipulated and controlled. According to Chomsky, "propaganda is to democracy as the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state", and the mass media is the primary vehicle for delivering propaganda in the United States.

Because We Say So: City Lights Open Media Series

Because We Say So presents more than 30 concise, forceful commentaries on US politics and global power. Written between 2011 and 2015, Noam Chomsky's arguments forge a persuasive counternarrative to official accounts of US politics and policies during global crisis.

Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis. Why is there so much inequality? In this short book, world-famous economist Yanis Varoufakis sets out to answer his 11-year-old daughter Xenia's deceptively simple question. Using personal stories and famous myths, he explains what the economy is and why it has the power to shape our lives.

Interventions

Interventions, by Noam Chomsky, is getting new press after the Pentagon banned the book from Guantanamo Bay's prison library. Interventions is Noam Chomsky at his best. Not since his all-time best-selling title, 9/11, published in the Open Media series in 2001, have readers and listeners had a timely, short, affordable Chomsky. Unlike 9/11, Interventions is a writerly work - a series of more than 30 tightly argued essays aimed at various aspects of U.S. power and politics in the post-9/11 world. While critical of U.S. military interventions around the globe, each piece in the book is in itself an intellectual intervention.

On Anarchism

On Anarchism provides the reasoning behind Noam Chomsky's fearless lifelong questioning of the legitimacy of entrenched power. In these essays, Chomsky redeems one of the most maligned ideologies, anarchism, and places it at the foundation of his political thinking. Chomsky's anarchism is distinctly optimistic and egalitarian. Moreover, it is a living, evolving tradition that is situated in a historical lineage; Chomsky's anarchism emphasizes the power of collective, rather than individualist, action.

Parliament Ltd: A journey to the dark heart of British politics

In Parliament Ltd, investigative journalist Martin Williams reveals the true extent of greed and corruption in Westminster. Containing explosive new revelations about the activities of those at the top, this is a shocking untold tale that goes to the rotten heart of British politics.

No Is Not Enough: Defeating the New Shock Politics

Trump, as extreme as he is, is less an aberration than a logical conclusion - a pastiche of pretty much all the worst and most dangerous trends of the past half century. A one-man megabrand, with wife and children as spin-off brands.... Remember when it all seemed to be getting better? Before Trump happened? Naomi Klein, internationally acclaimed journalist, activist and best-selling author, shows us how we got to this surreal and dangerous place, how to stop it getting a lot worse, and how, if we keep our heads, we can make things better.

What We Say Goes: Conversations on U.S. Power in a Changing World

In this all new collection of conversations, Noam Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: Iran’s challenge to the United States, the deterioration of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of China, and the growing power of the left in Latin America, as well as the Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections and its ramifications for the future.

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

Brilliant and engagingly written,
Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?

Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags

When you see your nation's flag fluttering in the breeze, what do you feel? For thousands of years flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colours. And still, in the 21st century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on the Arab street, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob.

Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis

A toxic ideology rules the world of extreme competition and individualism. It misrepresents human nature, destroying hope and common purpose. Only a positive vision can replace it, a new story that re-engages people in politics and lights a path to a better world. George Monbiot shows how new findings in psychology, neuroscience and evolutionary biology cast human nature in a radically different light: as the supreme altruists and cooperators.

The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition

Grasp the important ideas that have served as the backbone of philosophy across the ages with this extraordinary 60-lecture series. This is your opportunity to explore the enormous range of philosophical perspectives and ponder the most important and enduring of human questions-without spending your life poring over dense philosophical texts.

The Establishment: And How They Get Away With It

Behind our democracy lurks a powerful but unaccountable network of people who wield massive power and reap huge profits in the process. In exposing this shadowy and complex system that dominates our lives, Owen Jones sets out on a journey into the heart of our Establishment, from the lobbies of Westminster to the newsrooms, boardrooms, and trading rooms of Fleet Street and the City.

Making the Future: Occupations, Interventions, Empire and Resistance

Making the Future presents more than 50 concise and persuasively argued commentaries on U.S. politics and policies, written between 2007 and 2011. Taken together, Chomsky's essays present a powerful counter-narrative to official accounts of the major political events of the past four years: the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; the U.S. presidential race; the ascendancy of China; Latin America's leftward turn; the threat of nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea; Israel's invasion of Gaza and more.

Publisher's Summary

A compelling new set of interviews on our changing and turbulent times with Noam Chomsky, one of the world's foremost thinkers...

In this new collection of conversations, conducted from 2010 to 2012, Noam Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: the future of democracy in the Arab world, the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the European financial crisis, the breakdown of American mainstream political institutions, and the rise of the Occupy movement. As always, Chomsky presents his ideas vividly and accessibly, with uncompromising principle and clarifying insight.

The latest volume from a long-established, trusted partnership, this collection shows once again that no interlocutor engages with Chomsky more effectively than David Barsamian. These interviews will inspire a new generation of listeners, as well as longtime Chomsky fans eager for his latest thinking on the many crises we now confront, both at home and abroad. They confirm that Chomsky is an unparalleled resource for anyone seeking to understand our world today.

I really enjoyed this audio book. It's quite a relaxed format and covers a wide range of topics. Sometimes the questions from Barsamian are a bit fawning, but generally it is to the point and is very interesting. There's even a section on Chomsky's work on language, which isn't a subject I knew much about so it was interesting to hear him speak about it.

I'd really recommend this audio book if you are interested in Chomsky's views.

Where does Power Systems rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

"Power Systems" is one of the best audiobooks I have read.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Noam Chomsky is one of the hardest-working and best researchers in the field of contemporary politics, power systems, American colonialism, foreign wars, the occupy movement, post-secondary education (he teaches at M.I.T.) the 1%, poverty in America, and the widening gap between the super-rich and everyone else. This book covers more territory than many of his other more specialized titles, and brings the reader up to the past year or so (2012). If you want a good overview of the problems facing America and the west, and what needs to be done to fix them, this is a very good place to start.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Marina

Arboles, CO, United States

13/01/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Honest"

If you could sum up Power Systems in three words, what would they be?

To the point

What did you like best about this story?

The honest truth, like it or not

Which character – as performed by Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian – was your favorite?

Noam Chomsky

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The plight of the population

Any additional comments?

Noam Chomsky tells you the facts. He has no favorites, just tells it like it is.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Christine

Santa Fe, NM, United States

08/03/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"This is not a book, it's an interview"

I was very disappointed to discover that this is a recorded interview with Chomsky, not a book. So it is very repetitive and much of the interview is conducted over the phone so the audio quality is very poor. You have to be a huge fan of Chomsky to want to sit through this.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

steve

21/01/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great book; poor quality."

This is a great eye opening book. I'd recommend this to someone who might not have the time to read Understanding Power. Unfortunately, the sound quality in this was very poor, which made it somewhat difficult to follow.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Kindle Customer

San Juan, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico

28/07/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"excellent"

Thoughtful review of the powers that govern us in today's world. Deep, objective analysis of critical factors affecting our lives.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Thaddeus Guldbrandsen

04/02/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Insightful interviews, not a book."

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This is a series of insightful interviews with Noam Chomsky, providing comment on the meaning and significance of contemporary social, political, and economic trends and events. I should have read the description more carefully before buying. I was expecting something that would more closely approximate a book, which this is not. I was also expect fresh perspectives and new analysis of contemporary concerns. This is a good reflection of Noam Chomsky's ideas. Chomsky speaks off the cuff to questions presented to him. Smart, articulate, well stated. Not particularly novel.

Has Power Systems turned you off from other books in this genre?

I'll pay more attention to the description in the future.

Would you be willing to try another one of Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian ’s performances?

Probably not.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Reflection on contemporary challenges.

2 of 5 people found this review helpful

Rich Shields

Abuja, Nigeria

10/07/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Total Waste"

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Never knowing of its existence.

Has Power Systems turned you off from other books in this genre?

I hope there are no other books in this genre.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian ?

A mute.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Power Systems?

All of them.

Any additional comments?

The download made my i-Pod throw up.

0 of 16 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.